aroundhky

Great illustration "ItsMe"! I would just like to add that the person 3 will typically lose weight slower than the other 2 due to exercising more than the first 2. Physiologically, we can lose (burn) that muscle mass a lot faster than we can burn fat. So someone at a big caloric deficit that does not exercise at all, will usually lose weight faster than someone who is exercising most days, but as "ItsMe" stated, a lot, if not most, of that weight loss will be muscle. And this seems to trick a lot of people that start exercise and don't lose as slowly as they'd like. But in the end the slower weight loss with exercise will assure the person losing weight that's is mostly fat due to hanging on to more of their muscle. So if better body composition (body fat vs muscle), is your goal, try to not let the weight on the scale fool you. If you stick with the correct calories and keep exercising, you'll keep dropping the fat even though it's not showing on the scale as much as we'd prefer. I tried to weigh only once a month during this process, but that's easier said than done.

Wow! Great job to both of you...congrats! The topic title really got my attention..........just had to click on it!

Congrats chepler.....will not be long! Wish you the best! You'll be glad you did this!

I didn't know this, but have heard that magnesium plays a role in muscle recovery. But perhaps that's similar....... Good to know Fiddle.......thanks!

What is this GABA that you speak of? Glad your sleep is better and hopefully this GABA will not interfere with other functions.

Typically, lifting on a calorie deficit such as that will not enable you to "build" muscle. However, lifting during a major calorie deficit (along with sufficient protein consumption) will help you retain the muscle you do have. Then once you start getting closer to maintenance calories on a daily basis, you'll be able to add muscle and build strength. When you have the clearance from your Dr to begin lifting, it's important to get in there and lift 2-3 times a week, but start out light and slowly build up gradually. This will let your body know that you still need your muscle during this weight loss phase and your body will use more fat for energy and less muscle. You'll hold onto your muscle a little better than you would by not lifting during the major weight loss phase. Just my humble opinion through my own experiences and the bit of reading that I've done. Good luck!

Yeah Fancy!!

"Byebye" and "Bunny"...............ummmm, are you two getting each other worked up? If not, don't tell me, let me just go with this!

I wouldn't stess about it either. If your diet/nutrition is still in check, I'm sure you're gaining muscle and your body composition has improved. Kettle bells rock!!

Must...........................refrain........from.........................crude.......comment. I hear ya Jersey.....go get your tingle on!

Geeez...I wish! So I guess we both just got that ego boost or those cute glasses of yours need to be adjusted.

Just giving credit where credit is due.....

And WITH glasses!!

Goodness!!! Congrats!

You got this "stomlin"...you can do it! This may be weird and/or mildly obsessive, but I use my lifting routine as an attempt to eat clean. I lift really intensely and bust my butt in the gym several days a week. I really like it when my performance (heavy lift max or max reps on a set hits a new high) or I'm able to move some really heavy weight, or moderate weight many times (reps). Since that is a very motivating factor for me (along with other things), I know that I cannot do these big lifts without the nutrition to back it up. And since I work really hard in the gym and want those big lifts, I don't want to sabotage it by following up a really good lifting session with crappy food like I did pre-surgery. I can now see the tremendous benefits of eating right to support my strength and muscles as opposed to before surgery when I still lifted pretty hard, but pi$$ed away those efforts by eating horribly. Or, I could also look at the lifting as an excuse to eat right and hold myself accountable because I don't want my lifting sessions to be wasted. I've learned since surgery that even though one has to put the work in exercise-wise, at least 75% of my strength and fitness is determined in the kitchen or at the table. So for me, the easy part is the one hour or so at the gym each day, the challenge is the other 23 or so hours in the day. Everytime I want to reach for some chips or a candy bar at a convenience store, I try to think back to my last workout that day or the day before. If I had a really good workout, it's easier to say no to these type foods because they are not helping me get stronger........lean meats, veggies and complex carbs do. I realize you may not lift or do a lot of resistance training, but just sharing that as an example of a way to perhaps motivate you to eat clean. Maybe try different ways to hold yourself accountable or motivate yourself to eat well. Thanks for coming back to the forum! I'm getting close to 2 years now and still learn stuff on here and also like to give back to the newbies as the older veterans did with me when I first started. Wishing you the best!!!

"Jar"......it's great that you want to do all of that! I think that just having that frame of mind will be what motivates you to succeed in all of your aspirations! I know, that sounded a little cheesy, but having confidence in yourself and getting out of your comfort zone is important. Way to go!

Well there ya go............3 kids on top of that....wow! I bet you can be Super Mom and be fit and get your nursing education without killing yourself exercise-wise. Maybe set your priorities (kids, school), then let your exercise follow when it can? To be fairly fit and healthy, there's really no need to leave the gym absolutely exhausted and no need to exercise for more than an hour a day. Some people would maybe say I don't exercise enough since I'm only in the gym about 45-50 minutes (during my lunch break), but I think I do just fine. EXERCISE SMARTER, NOT NECESSARILY LONGER OR HARDER. On the slow carbs, you need those for maximum recovery. Find a few complex carbs that you like and make sure to eat some with your lean protein. For me, I stick with oats, lots of broccoli, quinoa, spinach and just a few sweet potatoes or brown rice. Everyone has differing and variable sensitivities to carbs, just gauge yours by being in tuned with your body and see how much and which kinds help you recover better. The simple ("white") carbs are really not what you want. Not sure if you have a lot of these or not. The complex carbs digest slowly and keep insulin levels fairly steady. The simple carbs (sugar, flour, etc) can spike it and then cause you to crash and feel exhausted. So try to stick with the slow carbs and see how you do with them?? Good luck!!

"Jar".........I commend you on your attempts to do all of that......sounds like it could be quite overwhelming. Try not to underestimate what mental/emotional stress can do physically to a body....in addition to all of the physical goals you are trying to accomplish with all of the exercise. Since you're in nursing school, you probably already have a bit of an idea about this already. Do you think maybe you're doing too much? How long are your exercise sessions? If your blood work looks good and you're getting in your protein, along with some complex carbs, there may not be much you can do other than cut back on some of what you're doing. Is there any other information that we need to know? From what you've told us, it may just be a matter of doing too much......?

Congrats on the loss so far! I'm sure you'll be more than satisfied with the sleeve regardless of the rate you lose weight....just keep doing what you're supposed to.........and you'll be glad you did!

I hear ya Mike! Congrats!

You're too nice "Should".......but thanks! I just hope I'm not as repulsive as I was a few years ago.

You should be happy........that's a lot of weight lost! Congrats on your progress!

That's an impressive amount of weight to lose on pre-op.....wow! Great job!